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Show The Utah Democrat: A Critical and Historical Analysis of the Rise and Fall of the Utah Democrats Angela Jones and created a newsletter formally stating, "it [BYU's campus] is being changed from an institution of higher learning into a propaganda agency for the Right Wing" (Utah Democrat 1967). The 1967-68 period was a decisive time which shaped the way the LDS church involved itself in politics. On the horizon of a pivotal voting year, the church came out in support of GOP candidates (Utah Democrat 1967). The evidence of this influence was apparent in the voting pattern of Utahns as more members of the LDS Church began switching their vote to Republican. A 1967 poll taken by Dr. Frank Jonas showed that 36-43 percent of Utah Mormons were Republican, while 34-37 percent of Utah Mormons were Democrat (Utah Democrat 1967). This was one of the first polls that began to show a steady increase in the amount of LDS Republican voters. Party Platforms and the Rise of Republican Power In April 1968, Governor Rampton announced his candidacy for a second term. Sensing disdain for government during this era, he invited the public to participate in "platform hearings" (Utah Democrat 1968). These community hearings, open to all, were held to discuss current issues and government policy. A Democratic Party officer offered these sentiments, Some people complain that their government is "distant" or "unaffected" by their real problems. This just isn't so. The problem is that most people won't take the time to become involved in the grassroots business of governing a community, county or state. The Democratic Party is ready, willing, and more than able to turn the people's ideas into action. All they have to do is let us know, at these platform hearings, what they want (Utah Democrat 1968). Recognizing the political influence the Church was having upon the community, the "platform hearings" were an attempt to reach out to the citizens of Utah. The dual purpose was to gain back faith in the government while promoting the Democratic Party as the vessel to do so. These hearings were relatively successful in that the official Utah Democratic Party Platform for the 1968 elections was derived directly from public input (Utah Democrat 1968). The newly defined Utah Democratic Platform was strongly aligned with the National Democratic Platform. Equality for women and civil rights issues were addressed in each. Support for public and higher education also proved a compelling issue, with particular emphasis on higher per pupil spending and raising teachers' salaries (Utah Democrat 1968). Environmental concerns were being addressed nationally by the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969. Governor Rampton emphasized his support for this type of legislation by pledging to protect habitat and preserve beauty when building highways (Utah Democrat 1968). Unique to Utah's platform was the commitment to promote tourism. Governor Rampton vowed to create more state parks for camping, hiking, and boating, which in turn enabled him to address economic concerns (Utah Democrat 1968). The platform also supported industry, focusing on Utah's natural resources such as uranium, coal, oil shale, and minerals from the Great Salt Lake (Utah Democrat 1968). Adding to these issues, Governor Rampton supported better law enforcement through better training, better pay, and better public recognition of officers. He also supported higher safety in the workplace, a concern to many blue-collar members of the working and middle classes (Utah Democrat 1968). A December 1967 polled showed Rampton with an 85 percent approval rate (Eminhiser 1969). Rampton used these poll results when developing his 1968 campaign theme, "Rampton Gets Things Done" (Eminhiser 1969). Bringing the public opinion to the forefront proved to be a successful strategy. For a state that elected a Republican president, nearly one-third of Utah voters crossed over to vote for Rampton, who won the 1968 race by an astonishing 30 percent (Emenhiser 1969). The Utah Democrat party overall though suffered significantly. According to then Democratic State Party Chairman John Klas, "Despite the smashing triumph of re-electing Governor Rampton by an overwhelming margin in the recent 1968 elections, still an overall reaction of Utah Democrats is marked by disappointment and pessimistic concern about the future role of the party in Utah" (Utah Democrat 1969). Klas's sentiments reflected that Republican majorities were elected in both the House and Senate (Eminhiser 1969). Not coincidentally, it was at this time that LDS church leadership was making public statements aligning with the Republican platform. Still, Utah Democrats were not at a total loss. They continued to win elections and even headlined their November 1972 newsletter, "Victory!" Governor Rampton was reelected to serve his third term in 1972, and in that same year two congressional seats were also won by Democrats. However, the 1974 and 1976 elections were overall losses for the Democrats, particularly in the Legislature (Dean 1983). By the mid- and late-1970s, Utah Democrats were starting to look more in jeopardy and a few fresh Republican faces were ready to capitalize on that. Orrin Hatch, a virtual unknown at the time, ran for U.S. Senate in 1975 (Dean 1983). He surprised members of both political parties by beating out numerous political hopefuls to become a finalist in the Republican primary (Dean 1983). Hatch's strategy in winning the convention battle was to rally support from the rising "right wing" sectors of the Republican Party, such as from the Eagle Forum and Grass Roots (Dean 1983). Hatch went on to win the primary and ultimately the general election over the three-term Democratic incumbant. He has proven to be the strongest Republican to hold that seat, having served for nearly thirty years. Undoubtedly, his support from conservative delegates has allowed him total control of the seat. Another prominent Republican official, Jake Garn, was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1974. Garn was the only Republican Congressman at that time (Dean 1983). After the election of Hatch to the Senate in 1976, the two men gained political power, each from a very conservative base, and were 54 |
